Pay-to-Win Cultivation: I Get 10,000x Returns

Chapter 295: Are You Even Capable?

The decisive battle in the Western Region ended in silence. Apart from the enemies reduced to ash and the ruined landscape, no trace of the conflict remained.

Zhang Xian wasted no time. He piloted his flying boat at maximum speed, tearing through the sky toward the Southern Region.

The moment he crossed the border, the [Mandarin Duck Companion Jade Pendant] against his chest pulsed with a familiar warmth.

Without hesitation, he channeled his spiritual energy into the jade. Space warped around him, and in the blink of an eye, he teleported directly to the core of Penglai Immortal Island.

His feet had barely touched the ground when a familiar figure swept towards him. It was Su Yunmiao.

But the usual serenity was gone from her face, replaced by a heavy, unshakeable gravity.

“You’re back! Perfect timing—Lele’s condition has taken a turn for the worse!”

Zhang Xian took a deep breath. “Grandmaster, I know the gist of it.”

He quickly debriefed her on the events in the West: Lin Jianyuan’s true identity as the ten-thousand-year-old monster Song Yuanyi, his betrayal of Wang Ye, and his final, miserable end.

Su Yunmiao, along with Li Fuxi and Lin Yinyin who had rushed over, listened in stunned silence. The revelation that the respected Alliance Leader was the mastermind behind the Seven Emotions calamity sent a chill through the group.

Then, Zhang Xian dropped the bombshell: Zhang Lele was currently battling the combined corruption of five Evil Thoughts—Greed, Anger, Hatred, Malice, and Obsession—inside her mental illusion.

The danger far exceeded their worst estimates. The atmosphere in the room grew suffocating.

“We can’t delay,” Zhang Xian said, cutting through the gloom. “Do we have a solution?”

Su Yunmiao furrowed her brow, pondering for a long moment before shaking her head helplessly. “It is… difficult. Extremely difficult. No one in history has ever suppressed five fully formed Seven Emotions simultaneously, especially from within a mental illusion.”

A spark of inspiration hit Zhang Xian. “Wait. Years ago, didn’t you use the [Time Gauze Lock] and a Profound Ice Formation to slow the soul dissipation of Yun Wanqing’s daughter? Can we use that method here?”

Su Yunmiao shook her head again. “The situation is different. Wanqing’s daughter suffered from a depletion of her soul’s origin; we needed to lock the external loss. Lele’s consciousness is trapped in an internal illusion, and the evil thoughts are generated from within. External tools like the [Time Gauze Lock] won’t have much effect on the illusion itself.”

“We still have to try!” Zhang Xian insisted. “According to Song Yuanyi’s dying words, the world’s barrier is crumbling. Breaking the level cap is only a matter of time.”

“Once the cap is lifted, Soul Formation won’t be a legend anymore. We might find higher-level powers to save her. Right now, what we need is time to stall!”

Su Yunmiao looked at the determination burning in Zhang Xian’s eyes and finally nodded. “You’re right. We cannot give up. Let’s try it!”

Zhang Xian moved with lightning speed. He teleported to the Cloud Raiment Pavilion, retrieved the [Time Gauze Lock] from Yun Wanqing, and flashed back to the deep-sea secret realm of Penglai.

Inside the sealing chamber, the atmosphere was tense.

Zhang Lele sat cross-legged at the center of the formation eye. She was no longer the peaceful sleeper of before. Her brows were knit in pain, beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead, and her aura was chaotic. Faint wisps of black, corruptive energy were leaking from her pores.

The erosion was accelerating.

The guardians of the formation were struggling.

Su Yunmiao’s true body was handling the brunt of the pressure with relative ease. Su Ling, upgraded with Star Marrow Iron and powered by high-grade Spirit Stones, was holding steady at the strength of a late Nascent Soul cultivator.

But the others were failing. Supreme Elder Qin Mian, whose lifespan was nearly exhausted, and the current Sect Master—an early Nascent Soul cultivator—were visibly trembling. Even with Zhang Xian’s top-tier recovery pills, they were reaching their limits. Li Fuxi had stepped in to rotate with them, barely keeping the [Four Symbols True Defense Array] from collapsing.

Zhang Xian didn’t hesitate. He deployed the [Time Gauze Lock], casting layers of temporal ripples over Zhang Lele. Simultaneously, he activated a Profound Ice Formation to freeze the activity of the evil thoughts within her.

The wait was agonizing.

Finally, the group sensed a shift. The black energy leaking from Lele’s body slowed significantly. The corruption had been stalled.

“Whew. It worked,” Zhang Xian exhaled, the tension in his shoulders releasing slightly.

Su Yunmiao signaled him to follow her to a quiet corner. Her face was etched with deep guilt.

“Zhang Xian… having Lele use her body to suppress [Obsession] was my idea. I never expected it to evolve into this. I am responsible for placing her in such danger.”

Zhang Xian waved his hand dismissively. “Grandmaster, the culprit is Song Yuanyi. This has nothing to do with you. Don’t blame yourself. The question is, how do we break this deadlock? The [Time Gauze Lock] is just a band-aid. We can’t wait passively forever.”

Su Yunmiao looked troubled. “Reaching Soul Formation is easier said than done. The evil energy is already manifesting physically—that means the situation inside her mind is critical. I fear she won’t last long enough for us to break through.”

She paused, her expression hardening into resolve. “I have made a decision. I will personally enter Lele’s illusion.”

“I have already summoned Zhiyin. When she arrives, you and she will maintain the [Four Symbols True Defense Array] to protect our physical bodies.”

Zhang Xian was startled. “You can enter someone else’s mental illusion? Is that even possible?”

Su Yunmiao nodded. “It’s a gamble, but we can try. It is the only proactive move we have left. If I enter the illusion, I can join forces with Lele. If we coordinate from the inside and outside, we might have a chance to purge the five thoughts.”

“And if you fail?”

Su Yunmiao’s voice dropped. “If I fail… both Lele and I will be completely consumed. We will become monsters of pure Seven Emotions.”

Zhang Xian frowned deeply. “That is too dangerous.”

“This started because of me. Someone has to end it,” Su Yunmiao said, her eyes flashing with steel. “Besides, I am a Half-Step Soul Formation cultivator. My mental fortitude is far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. I have the highest chance of success.”

Seeing Zhang Xian hesitate, she continued. “Even if I fail, you can seal us both here. When you eventually break through to a higher realm, you can come back and save us then.”

Zhang Xian looked at Su Yunmiao’s peerless, determined face.

His mind flashed back to the rotting, black core of Wangchuan, and the insane, twisted visage of Grandmaster Taichu after he fused with the evil thoughts.

He shook his head violently.

“No! Absolutely not! There is no reason for you to take that risk. Grandmaster… I will go.”

Su Yunmiao stared at him, then rejected him instantly.

“You? You can’t do it.”

“You are clever, Zhang Xian, but your cultivation is only early Nascent Soul. Inside an illusion, Inner Demons are real. It is a battle of pure mental state and Divine Sense. Even I, at Half-Step Soul Formation, cannot guarantee victory. For you… it would be suicide.”